What Is Hypnobirthing?
Is hypnobirthing a breathing technique?
Is it a concept?
Is hypnobirthing right for you?
Hey lovely, you’ve got heaps on your plate already so let’s get straight to the point.
Hypnobirthing is way more than a breathing technique, and it’s way more than positive thinking. And if I read another comment saying it’s just a way to reframe pain I might actually cry 😂
So what is it?
Hypnobirthing is all about taking responsibility for all the parts of your labour and birth that YOU CAN influence. And you CAN INFLUENCE every part, though of course, curveballs do happen, and it can help you deal with those too. Hypnobirthing is pain management, but it’s SO MUCH MORE!
How you can positively influence your birth using hypnobirthing:
Breathing techniques
Mindset strategies
Deep relaxation
Body movement
Creating the best possible birth environment (think safe, private, as undisturbed as possible)
Maximising the mind-body connection
When you use these tools you create the optimal calm conditions for your baby to be born - both within you, and in your birth environment (whether that’s a hospital, birthing, centre, at home or free range in the woods).
Why does hypnobirthing work?
Most women have been brought up believing that birth is dangerous, terrifying, and excruciatingly painful so the mere though of a baby coming out of their vagina creates FEAR. That fear creates tension in the body (holding your breath, fearful images in your mind, stress hormones releasing into your system). The tension then creates more fear and the cycle perpetuates. This is known as the FEAR - TENSION - PAIN CYCLE.
Why does FEAR create pain?
Because your muscles are trying to RELEASE a baby into the world and you’re clenching like your life depends on it. The blood supply to your uterus (womb) gets interrupted because you’re in fight and flight and in times where you body enters this state your uterus is not usually high priority!
For example, if you were being chased by a tiger you’d be more thankful for a healthy blood flow to your legs so you could run away rather than having a uterus with a rich blood supply!
When you feel scared during labour your contractions are less effective (because muscles rely on oxygen to work well). You experience more pain because your muscles are working against each other.
Even though many birthing partners start of skeptical about the whole hypnobirthing thing they quickly get on board when they realise that this sort of mental rehearsal and planning is what all the world’s top athletes use to stay on their game!
YOU CAN INTERRUPT THE FEAR TENSION PAIN CYCLE AT ANY POINT
In an ideal world you will be in the best mindset for birth and be in a great environment so you won’t even be in the Fear - Tension - Pain cycle, but if you find yourself there you can begin to change it by:
Changing your thoughts - imagining soothing images
Using one of the breathing techniques (which soothes your nervous system, boosts blood supply, promotes relaxation). There are specific breathing techniques for simple relaxation, for first stage labour (dilation), for second stage labour (baby moving down birth canal and being born).
Moving your body: An active birth can create up to 30% more space in your pelvis for your baby to move, being upright and forward also boosts blood supply to your uterus and helps baby’s head to be in the right place to encourage dilation and move down.
Deep relaxation: A blend of mind and body techniques which help keep you calm, focussed and gets any overthinking mind out of the way so your body can do what it is designed to do.
Birth environment: Think about the kind of space you would create for a romantic night. Soft lights, music, nice scent, visually appealing, and generally pretty sensual! This is what you want to create for birth because all of this creates a feeling of safety, security and privacy. What more could you ask for in a birthing space?
Most of my mums use hypnobirthing strategies throughout pregnancy so they sleep better, worry less about hospital appointments, milestones, negative comments. Instead they are realistic about when they’re pointlessly worrying, and instead turn their energy to what they can to restore calm confidence. They feel excited and empowered about giving birth.
Hypnobirthing used to have a bad rep for only promoting vaginal births but the style that I teach prepares you to stay calm and relaxed no matter what type of birth you are having, and it includes antenatal education so you know what to expect, and understand that you have rights. You do not HAVE to do anything you do not want to do.
You can still benefit heaps from hypnobirthing if you choose to be induced, have a c-section, or instrumental delivery (ventouse, forceps). It’s a massively transferable skill (and one I personally used when I had open heart surgery to repair a defect!).
Getting the tingles that hypnobirthing sounds right for you? Perfect timing. If you’re roughly 20+ weeks or more into your pregnancy then I’m running The Birth Prep Programme. It’s a four week deep dive (10 hours ) into everything you need to know to have a better birth. If you’d love to learn how to take control of your birth and create the best possible welcome for your baby you’ve found the right programme. Check it out.
PS - yes hypnobirthing does involve some use hypnosis but you are NOT in some sort of stupor at any stage. It taps into your natural ability to relax without the mega freak outs about birth! Oh, and I don’t use any swinging watches or look into my eyes Mystic Meg tones 😂. Come and join us.
